“SPIRITUAL DECLINE”

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16866, 1 February 1929, Page 10

“SPIRITUAL DECLINE”

TENDENCIES OF TO-DAY OUTLQOK OF YOUNG PEOPLE "Them lius been a decline' m moral, earnestness—spiritual sensibility—a deadness of the soul concerning' things apiri tied,” said the llev. W. M. Glow, in Utu course of a. sermon on “Spiritual insensibility.” before a large congregation at Bt. David’s Presbyterian. Church, Auckland (reports the Herald). Mr. Clow, who until recently was principal of the United Free Church College, Glasgow, is revisiting Auckland after an absence of 60 years. Ilia text for the serjnon wins, Pi'hey Knew Not Until the Flood Came.” There were those with no vision o) the eternal—no respyrb for) tho.se tilings which 30 years ago were dear the millions of Christendom, said Mr. Clow . Jt was reflected even in the books read by tin; young men arid women of today, books which would show bow low dim moral tone had sonic. There were those whose whole lives were conditioned on pleasure, those wit 1 1 no zest for public service. There were people in every city and countryside to-day who never worshipped and never prayed, and those again who were silent about the lliings of God, because they were in ignorance of thorn. Home might know the name of God, and might dabble in Urn ethical and political issues of llie time, but. they knew! nothing of God, duly and immortality. Wind was (he result of this moral insensibility? Travel through India, tho ruins of 'the seats of empires— Persja, Babylon, Egypt, Greece and Rome, and

what did they find? The flood came on those spiritually insensible. A more recent example was to be found in Germany.

As a student there about 30 years ago the speaker said he had had an admiration of the learning, more broadly, founded, more deeply embedded than our own. But- Germany 30 years ago was spiritually insensible of other nations. One would have gasped at (heir worldliness, but tlm flood came. Then there was spiritual insensibility

in their own personalities arid lives. There were those iwelbeducated anil well-born, with promise of great futures, who would scoff at the simple folk who: prayed and cherished their familyBibles. They would hold .their heads: high, but the flood would come. It might lie thought, perhaps, he was too severe, hut- this spiritual insensibility might come to dull young aspirations and to deaden the soul.